Birmingham (England’s second-biggest city)
Birmingham is England’s second-biggest city. Home to the atrocious Spaghetti Junction (the equally ugly Birmingham Library was knocked down to be replaced by another ugly building – before that, books were housed in a beautiful Victorian building, long gone).
It’s one of the most multi-cultural cities, so don’t visit here if you’re a ‘little Englander racist’, as you will be made to feel most unwelcome, and rightly so! It gave rise to some of our best music – Joan Armatrading, ELO, UB40 (named after the benefits they used to claim) and Duran Duran.
It was also home to the wonderful late poet and animal welfare campaigner Benjamin Zephaniah. He called his home city ‘concrete with a heartbeat’, and did all he could to change the perception of Birmingham as ‘benefits street’ to the general public. Make a vegan Balti curry in his memory!
When I left Birmingham for London, I found myself passionately defending the city of my birth. As a proud Brummie survivor I’d like to think that my achievements are a model antidote to TV programmes that depicts Brummies as workshy.
Even though we have a proud industrial heritage to when Birmingham was ‘the workshop of the world’ and ‘city of a thousand trades’.
Dame Barbara Cartland (grandmother of Princess Diana) was born in Edgbaston. Aside from writing romantic novels, she helped design the first aircraft-towed airmail delivery glider (with two RAF officers). So not just pink dresses and heavy makeup!
Green Finds in Birmingham
Sutton Park is one of Europe’s largest urban parks (over 2400 acres) and nearby Sutton Coldfield is also known for its beautiful parks.
The Birmingham Brewing Company makes local vegan beers (including stout) with many alcohol-free versions. It also sells wholesale (including draught) for pubs, restaurants and hotels.
Profits help local charities (air ambulances and people with alcohol and mental health issues). It also makes Brummie gin (by mixing leftover beer mash with six botanicals).
The Clean Kilo is England’s largest zero waste shop, started by a young couple who also sell drinks in the reusable Brummie Cup, which you take with a deposit, then return it next time you’re passing. For food, just take along your own clean jars and tubs, fill up and save money on packaging.
